Developers the world over talk about Programming Ruby and the Ruby language. . . “Ruby is a wonderfully powerful and useful language, and whenever I’m working with it, this book is at my side.” Martin Fowler, Chief Scientist, ThoughtWorks “If your world revolves around Java, as mine did, then you need this outstanding book to learn all the wonderful things you’re missing. There’s just one catch: you’ll be spoiled from then on. Indeed, after reading just a few pages of Programming Ruby, programming in any language other than Ruby will feel like you’re pushing rope.” Mike Clark, Author and Consultant “Ruby is smart, elegant, and fun, and it deserves a book that’s smart, elegant, and fun. The first edition of Programming Ruby was such a book; the second edition is even better.” James Britt, Administrator, http://ruby-doc.org “The best reason to learn a new programming language is to learn to think differently. The best way to learn to think the Ruby way is to read Programming Ruby. Several years ago, with the first edition of this book, I did just that. Since then, I’ve had a constant stream of enjoyable Ruby programming experiences. This is due in no insignificant part to the quality of the source from which I learned the language. I’m not the only person I’ve heard say that every language should have a book like this.” Chad Fowler, Codirector, Ruby Central, Inc. “The PickAxe got me started on Ruby. It is still the first book I turn to.” Ryan Davis, Founder, Seattle.rb “This book changed my life. Sounds rather clichéd, but it’s the truth. After six years and 300,000 lines of Java code, I needed a change. That change occurred upon reading the first edition of this book. With the support of a solid community and ever-growing foundation of superb libraries, I founded a company that largely profits from applying Ruby to solve real-world problems. Ruby is ready for prime time, and this new version of the PickAxe will show a waiting world what a gem Ruby really is.” Rich Kilmer, President and CEO, InfoEther LLC “The first edition of PickAxe has been a desk-side companion for years. The second edition will be an eagerly awaited replacement.” Tom Enebo, JRuby Developer

“The first edition of Programming Ruby brought about no less than the introduction of Ruby on a large scale outside of Japan, in the process becoming the de facto standard published language reference and an oft-cited model of clear, effective technical writing. The appearance of the second, expanded edition is exciting for Ruby programmers around the world and will no doubt attract a fresh wave of newcomers to this elegant, versatile language.” David A. Black, Ph.D., Codirector, Ruby Central, Inc. “Ruby is my definite choice for all scripting and prototyping issues, and this book will help you to discover its usefulness as well as its beauty. Apart from that, it’s really fun to read!” Robert Klemme “I bought the first edition of this book the day it was released and had a fantastic time using it to learn Ruby. I eventually bought a second copy to keep at home. But Ruby has changed since then. I’m delighted that this second edition of Programming Ruby is available to help a new round of programmers learn about this fantastic, beautiful language. And it’s not just good news for Ruby newbies, of course—like me, most Ruby developers will want a copy (no, make that two) so that all of the details about today’s Ruby will be close at hand.” Glenn Vanderburg, Software Architect, Countrywide Financial “Ruby is one of those great languages that takes an afternoon to start using and years (maybe a lifetime) to master. In C, I’m always having to work around the limitations of the language; in Ruby, I’m always discovering a neater, cleaner, more efficient way to do things. Programming Ruby is the essential reference to the Ruby language. More than just teaching you the syntax, it teaches you the spirit and the feel of the language.” Ben Giddings “Confucius said, “What you hear, you forget.” He also said, “What you do you understand.” But it’s not easy to actually